Signal systems



1960 o. M. WHILDIN ETAL 2,921,734

SIGNAL SYSTEMS Filed Aug. 10, 1956 1 m M 1m Why 1 MW .w M H Y Ma S n m M 6 m i 7%, H J r 4 H Ema 1 r H W 9 0 .w I j W 9 /////////////////4 \\&

United States Patent 2,921,734 SIGNAL SYSTEMS Or-villa May Whildin, Westville, and Harry C. Steube, deceased, late of Paulsboro, N.J., by Casimira H. Steube, executrix, Paulsboro, N.J., assignors of 'onethird to Morris M. Marks 7 Application August 10, 1956, Serial No. 604,042

6 Claims. (Cl. 232-36) "Our invention relates to signal systems, and it relates more particularly to signals which are set off by the opening and closing of mail slots during the insertion or removal of mail therefrom, and which may be in combination with means for manually actuating a signal, as for instance by a visitor announcing his presence at the door.

In our original Letters Patent No. 2,759,057, of which this is a further modification, we have shown such a system as applied for instance to mail boxes which as a general rule are disposed outside the locked front door of the household. Thus, not only could unauthorized persons seek to obtain access to the mail box, but the householder prior to our invention had no way of knowing when mail was placed therein by the mail man. Hence, there was considerable uncertainty as to the ac- .tual time of arrival of the mail, resulting in the householder being required to make frequent trips to the mail box, opening and closing the front door in the process, in order to determine whether the mail had yet arrived.

In the past, attempts had been made to provide means whereby the householder would learn when the mail retceptacle was opened or closed. However, in the main such means relied on the use of electrical systems which were open to tampering, or corrosion due to the weather.

Other attempts had been made to avoid the pilferage susceptibility of mail boxes by utilizing a mail slot in an outside door of the house. Such attempts have not been wholly satisfactory however, for they neither rule out the possibility of reaching thru the mail slot with a suitable instrument to obtain access to the mail on the floor, .nor do they in any way protect the bulky mail which is permitted by the mailman to stick in the slot while protruding part way outside of the door.

One object of our invention therefore is to provide :a signal system which will be actuated by the opening or closing of a mail slot, whether in a mail box, door, or otherwise, in such a manner as to notify the. householder that the mail has arrived, or that someone is manipulating the mail receptacle, as the case may be.

Another object of our invention is to provide a signal system which is substantially incapable of being adversely affected by the weather, fool-proof and tamper-proof in operation, and easy to install and operate.

A further object of our invention is to provide a mail receptacle signal system which will operate without the necessity of electrifying any part of the mail receptacle structure itself.

Another object of our invention is to provide a signal system which may include means for notifying the householder of the opening, closing or manipulating of a mail receptacle, and of the presence of a visitor who manually operates the signal system, said means being capable of operation with or without the use of electricity, as desired.

A further object of our invention is to provide a sig nal system which is easily assembled, requires a minimum 2,921,734 Patented Jan. 19, 1960 of changes to standard construction, is inexpensive and reliable in operation and construction.

Other objects will appear from the description of our invention which appears more fully hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating our invention, we have shown in the accompanying drawings forms thereof which are at present preferred by us, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which our invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that our invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and organiza tions of the instrumentalities as herein shown and de-. scribed.

Referring to the drawings in which like reference char acters indicate like parts:

Figure lrepresents a vertical sectional view of a mail receptacle of modified construction and comprising a door having a mail slot, and embodying our invention.

Figure 2 represents a vertical sectional view of a mail receptacle of modified construction, and comprising a door having a mail slot and mechanically operated signal system, and embodying our invention.

In accordance with our invention, our signal system may be applied to any mail receptacle, as for instance a mail box, a front door. having a mail slot, or a storm door having a mail slot and spaced from the front door in a manner to permit mail to be dropped therebetween.

In Figure 1 is illustrated one form of signal system embodying our invention, wherein said signal system is applied to a door having a mail slot 76 formed therethrough and covered by a suitableclosure member 77. In the mail slot shown in Figure 1, the lower edge 78 is illustrated as being downwardly and rearwardly inclined so as to facilitate the passage of mail therethrough; but it is to be understood that the shape of the slot 76 is not limited thereto but may be of any suitable configuration. In like manner, the closure member 77 is illustrated as being of the outward lift type; but it is to be understood that it may be of the inward depressible type without departing from the spirit or essential attributes of our invention. As illustrated in Figure 1, the mail slot 76 may be lined with a side wall 79 on each of its two sides, a rearwardly and downwardly inclined chute member 80 and a top portion 81. The closure member 77 may be pivotally secured to the upper region of the mail slot lining, as by the hinge member 82. A cam device 83 projects rearwardly from the closure member 77 and comprises a cam follower 84. The cam 83 and follower 84 are adapted to traverse an are 85 whose center is disposed along the longitudinal axis of the hinge member 82. A suitable switch member, such for instance as a microswitch device '86 operated by a plunger 87 extending therefrom, may be suitably mounted on the lining of the mail slot 76, with the outer tip of its plunger 87 intercepting the path of movement of the cam follower 84 about said arc 85. The switch 86 is connected by suitable means such as the electric wires 88 to a signal circuit which may be similar to that illustrated in Patent No. 2,759,057.

In operation, .when the closure member 77 is lifted,

\ the cam 83 swings downwardly and its follower 84 intercepts the plunger 87 operable momentarily to depress the plunger 87, and during the time of said depression to actuate the signal 66. As the follower 84 continues along the are 85 during the opening process of the closure member 77, it uncovers the plunger 87 thereby permitting it to move outwardly and thus release the signal 66 from actuation. When the closure member 77 is itself released and thereby permitted to return to its closing relation to the mail slot 76 the follower 84 is returned along the are 85 and again intercepts the plunger 87 in a manner to actuate the signal 66, and again releases said plunger 87 when the closure member 77-is completing its closure movement.

In this manner, the signal 66 is sounded at the beginning'of the opening o'f the 'c'ljosur'e member 77 and at the end of the closin'g' of said member. 'Thiis, when mail iS.-PElSSed-thrbllgh the door 75 by means of the mail slot 76, the signal 66 will sound twice, but when bulky mail sticks in' the slot 76 and extends outwardly therethrough, the door 77 will be prevented from closing and the signal will ring but once! Since such mail is-camels of being easily pilfered, the householder'is put on notice by having heard but one signal,'that he should come at once to the door to remove the bulkymail' which is'stickin'g out of the mailslot. Also,-should an unauthorized personseek toireach through thetmail slot tothe interior of the house, heimust do so bylifting the door 7-7 and keeping it in lifted position, By so doing he will haveactuated the signal'but' once, and thus have w arned the heuseholder that he is to come to the door; The unauthorized person will then be immediately discovered and the signal will have achieved its purpose. 7 i

'In Figure '2 is illustrated 'amodified construction embodying. our invention, wherein the'si'gnal reo ened by mechanical means instead of electrical. In this construction, a mail slot 89 is formed through a d'or90. A suitable closure member 91 may'bepivotally secured, by means of a suitable hinge member 92, tofa bas e plate 93.which isrnounted on the door 90. A bell crank arm 94 may extend rearwardly from the hinged portion of the closure member 91, and comprise a cam' pertion 95 which may be upwardly and rearwardly inclined, A suitable housing 96 maybe provided, comprising abase plate portion 97, side wall 98, top wall 99, bottom wall 100, and a rear wall 101 which is preferably formed into an open grille work 102. The base plate '97 is secured to the rear of the door 90 by any suitable means. A suitable openingmay be provided in the lower forward portion of the housing 96 to permit free passage therethrough of the bell crank arm 94 and cam 95.

A second bell crank 103 may be mounted on a pivot 104 within the housing 96, and may comprise a shank or lever mechanism portion 105 on one side of the pivot 104 and a cam follower portion 106 extending from another side thereof. The bell crank portion 106 preferably terminates in a cam follower member 107 adapted to ride upon and bear against the cam 95. V A

A manual device such as a push button or other plunger 108 may be slidably mounted within a suitable sleeve 109 extendingthrough the door 90, preferably above the bell crank portion 103, and terminates in a suitable bearing or follower'member 110 adapted to bear against and ride upon a bearing surface 111 on the bell'crank arm'103. A suitable spring device 112 may be mounted in the housing 96 in a'manner to bear against the plunger 108 to urge it outwardly through the door and away from said bearing surface 111. i V

A yieldable retaining means such as the spring device 113 may be'mounted within the housing 96 in a manner to urge the cam follower bell crank arm 106 upwardly and toward the cam 107. l

Suitable sound devices such for instance as the chime members 114 and 115 may be mounted in the interior of the housing 96, and may if desired be of dilfere'nt tones. A: sound-actuating element, which may be a weighted striker 116, is mounted on the 'bell' crank arm 103 in a manner to actuatethe' chime 114 when the bell crank arm 103 is 'at its upper limit of thrust, and to actuate the chime 115 when said armfis at its lowerlimit of thrust. The s'triker'116 is preferably spaced from the pivot 104- a distancefj substantially greater than that between the P1YOL1Q4'QI1Cl-ihfl outer edge of the cam'follower 107, and alsoj substantially"greaterthan the distance between s'a'idf'pivot104 and anypo'rtion of the bearing surface 1 11.

"If desired, a suitable striker retra 'tingfdevice may be 4 provided. Thus, for instance, projections 117 may extend from both sides of the bell crank arm 103, and substantially parallel to the striker 116. Resilient members 118 may be adjustably mounted on the housing 96 in a manner to be disposed within the path of the projections 117, operably to intercept the same just before the striker 116 would strike the sound devices 114, 115 during the thrust of the bell crank arm 103, Thus, the weighted arm 116 will continue its movement against the yielding resistance of the resilient member 118, butwhen the striking motion is completed, the resilient rnernber118 will retract the striker 116 from contact with the'sou'nd device 114, 115 and thus prevent it from dampening the vibration of the sound device. v

In operation when the closure/ member 91 is pushed inwardly to permit passage of mail through the slot 39, the bell crank cam 95 is rotated toward the rear of the door 96 operably to swing the cam follower 107 downwardly, carrying with it th e bell-crank arm 166 against chime 115withsubstantial force. 1

the resistance of the compressionspring 113. in so doing, the bell crank arm 193is swung downwardly, carrying with it the striker 116, 'ultimating'in the striker 116 striking the sound device 115: The mechanical advantage is such that but slight movementof the cam 95 is required to swing the weighted striker 116 a considerable distance, and the momentum of the strikeris such as to strike the When the closure member 91is manually released, the yieldable retaining Ineans'113 urges thebell crank arm 106 rearwardly away from the door 90, thereby forcing the cam 95 downwardly, 'and swinging the closure member 91 to a closed position. Simultaneously, the rearward movement of the belljcrank am; 106 swings the lever arm 103 upwardly in a manner," to impart momentumto the weighted sound-actuating striker 11 6 operably to-swiiig said striker into sound-actuating contact with the chime 114with" substantial force. The weight of the striker 116 then swings it downwardly to a position of equilibrium with respect to the opposite urge of the compression spring113, said position of equilibrium being intermediate the sound devices 114- and '115.

When the push button 10 8is' manually pushed inwardly, the bearing bears against the bearing surface 111 and cams the lever arm 103 downwardlyiagainst the pressure of the spring 113' and in a manner to swing the said striker 116 into sound-actuating contact with the chime 115, When the push button 108 is released, the spring 113 urges the bell crank 10 6,rearwardly in a manner to cause the Weighted striker 116 to strike the chime 114 as hereinabove described, and the weighted striker then returns to its point, of equilibrium.

As a result, whenmail'is insertedthrough the mail slot 8901": the mail-receiving member which in this case is the door 90, the closuremember 91 is swung inwardly topermit insertionofth'e mail through the slot. By this action, the chime is sounded. Whenthe mail inserting operation is completed, the closure member 9 1 swings back to a closed? position and this'operationresults in the sounding of the cl1ime114.v Thus both sound devices are serially actuated and the householder is informed that the mail has arrived, If bulky mail has been stuffed into the slot 89 in a'manner to protrude outwardly therefrom so that it couldbe withdrawn by an unauthorized person, the closure member 91 will remain in its depressed condition, and only the chime 115 will have sounded, thereby warning the householder to come to the door and Withdraw his mail before it can be pilfered. In like manner, if an unauthorized person seeks'to gain access to the interior of the house by opening the mail slot, the closure member'91 is depressedand-sounds the single chime 115, thereby warning the householder. When a visitor comes to the door he depresses the push button 108, thereby sounding both 1 the chimes115 and 114 Should the householder ignore form him, by the repetition of the double sounding of the chimes, that the signals were actuated not by the insertion of mail but by a visitor at the door.

It should be understood that while one form of soundactuating device is illustrated, ourinvention is not limited thereto but includes as well any means, electrical or mechanical, of any description, for actuating sound.

We are aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and we therefore desire the present embodiments to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A signal system comprising a mail-receiving member having a mail slot and a movable slot cover mounted on said mail-receiving member; a primary and a secondary sound device; means for actuating said sound devices; said means comprising: a cam carried by said cover and traversing a path of movement during the opening and closing of said cover; a follower mechanism mounted on said-mail-receiving member in motion-transferring relation to said cam; a yieldable retaining device adapted to urge said follower mechanism against said cam in a manner to urge said cover into closed position; a lever mechanism carried by said follower mechanism and comprising a bearing surface and a sound-actuating element; a manual device mounted on said mail-receiving member and comprising a bearing portion adapted to bear against said bearing surface; a device for yieldably urging said bearing portion away from said bearing surface; a retracting device disposed in the path of said lever mechanism and adapted to retract said sound element immediately following its sound-actuating thrust; the arrangement of parts being such that when said cover is manually moved to open position, said cam moves said follower mechanism against the opposition of said yieldable retaining device, said follower mechanism moves said lever. mechanism until said element is in position to actuate said primary sound device whereupon its thrust is reversed by said retracting means, and when said cover is released said yieldable retaining device urges said follower along said cam operably to close said cover and simultaneously to thrust said element into position where it actuates said secondary sound device, and when said manual device is operated said bearing portion bears against said bearing surface operably to move said element against the opposition of said yieldable retaining device until said element is in sound-actuating condition with respect to said primary sound device whereupon it is retracted by said retracting means, and when said manual device is released, said yieldable retaining device urges said element toward sound-actuating relation to said secondary sound device.

2. A signal system comprising a mail-receiving member having a mail slot and a movable slot cover mounted on said mail-receiving member; a sound device; means for actuating said sound device; said means comprising: a cam carried by said cover and traversing a path of movement during the opening and closing of said cover; a follower mechanism mounted on said mail-receiving member in motion-transferring relation to said cam; yieldable retaining means adapted to urge said follower mechanism against said cam in a manner to urge said cover into closed position; a lever mechanism carried by said follower mechanism and comprising a bearing surface and a sound-actuating element; a manual device mounted on said mail-receiving member and comprising a bearing portion adapted to bear against said bearing surface; a device for yieldably urging said bearing portion away from said bearing surface; a retracting device disposed in the path of said lever mechanism and adapted to retract said sound element immediately fol' lowing its sound-actuating thrust; the arrangement of parts being such that when said cover is manually moved to open position, said cam moves said follower mechanism against the opposition of said yieldable retaining means, said follower mechanism moves said lever mechanism until said element is in position to actuate said sound device whereupon its thrust is reversed by saidretracting means, and when said cover is released said yieldable retaining means urges said follower along said cam operably to close said cover and simultaneously to move said element into position for renewed actuating of saidsound device, and when said manual device is operated said bearing portion bears against said bearing surface operably to move said element against the opposition of said yieldable retaining device until said element is in sound-actuating condition whereupon it is retracted by said retracting means, and when said manual device is released, said yieldable retaining device urges said element toward position for renewed actuating of said sound device.

3. A signal system comprising a mail-receiving member having a mail slot and a movable slot cover mounted on said mail-receiving member; a primary and a secondary sound device; means for actuating said sound devices; said means comprising: a cam carried by said cover and traversing a path of movement during the opening and closing of said cover; a follower mechanism mounted on said mail-receiving member in motion-transferring relation to said cam; yieldable retaining means adapted to urge said follower mechanism against said cam in a manner to urge said cover into closed position; a lever mechanism carried by said follower mechanism and comprising a sound-actuating element; a retracting device disposed in the path of said lever mechanism and adapted to. retract said sound element immediately following its sound-actuating thrust; the arrangement of parts being such that when said cover is manually moved to open position, said cam moves said follower mechanism against the opposition of said yieldable retaining means, said follower mechanism moves said lever mechanism until said element is in position to actuate said primary sound device whereupon its thrust is reversed by said retracting means, and when said cover is released said yieldable retaining means urges said follower along said cam operably to close said cover and simultaneously to thrust said element into position 'where it actuates said secondary sound device.

4. A signal system comprising a mail-receiving member having a mail slot and a movable slot cover mounted on said mail-receiving member; a primary and a secondary sound device; means for actuating said sound devices; said means comprising: a cam carried by said cover and traversing a path of movement during the opening and closing of said cover; a follower mechanism mounted on said mail-receiving member in motion-transferring relation to said cam; yieldable retaining means adapted to urge said follower mechanism against said cam in a manner to urge said cover into closed position; a lever mechanism carried by said follower mechanism and comprising a bearing surface and a sound-actuating element; a manual device mounted on said mail-receiving member and comprising a bearing portion adapted to bear against said bearing surface; a device for yieldably urging said bearing portion away from said bearing surface; the arrangement of parts being such that when said cover is manually moved to open position, said cam moves said follower mechanism against the opposition of said yieldable retaining means, said follower mechanism moves said lever mechanism until said element is in position to actuate said primary sound device, and when said cover is released said yieldable retaining means urges said follower along said cam operably to close said cover and simultaneously to thrust said element into position Where it actuates said secondary sound device, and when said manual device is operated. saidibearing portion bears against said ibearingsurface' operably to move said elemanual device is released, said yieldable retainingrdeviciei urges said element toward sound-actuating.relation'tosaid.

secondary sound device. V

5. A signal system comprising her having a mail slot and a movableslotrcover mounted on said mail-receiving member; a primary and a secondary sound device; means for. actuating said sound devices; said means comprising: a soundactuating:element;v motion-transferring, mechanism carried by said mail-receiw ing' member, and'disposed between said; cover and said sound actuating element; yieldable retaining means adapted to vurgesaid. motion-transferring mechanism into a condition wherein said cover isinFclosed? position and said sound-actuating elementis in retracted position; the arrangement of parts being such that when saidacover is manually moved to "open-position, said motion-transferring mechanism moves in opposition to said yieldable retaining means operably to actuatesaid primary sound device, and when said cover is released said yieldable a mail-receivin g rner'ns.-

retaining means urges said motion-transferring meclrsoundactuating'; element; yieldable manual deviee moun ted on jsard mail-receiving memberand disposed in-motion-transferring; relation to said'motion transferring mechanism; the arrangement of parts being ;such that when said coveris manually movedto open position, said motion transferring mechanism,

moves inopposition to said yieldable retaining means operably to actuate'said primary sound device, and when said cover is released said yieldable retaining means urges said motion-transferring mechanism operably to close said actuating condition with respect to said primary sounddevice, and when said manual device is released said yieldable retaining means urges said element toward sound-actuating relationto said secondary sound device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED. STATES .PATENTS Re.'1, 066 Bliss Oct. 16, 1860 295,581 Pace et al.' Mari. 25, 1884 764,233 7 Field -2 July' 5, 1904 823,730 King June 19,"1906 908,500, Ripple 1am 5, 1909 1,436,609 Semenofi ;'Nov, 21, 1922 1,442,578 Landrurn Jan. 16; 1923 1,808,235 Lang' June 2, 1931 1,976,117 Cassel Octi' 9,1934 2,467,475 Hallamore Apr; 19 1949 retaining means adapted to urge said motion-transferring mechanism into a condition wherein saidcover is in 'closed position and i said sound-actuating element is i imretracted position; a 

